Much of the raucous talks around James Harden’s uncertain offseason, Jabari Smith Jr. offered his own thoughts about the All-Star welcoming a potential reunion with the Houston Rockets.
In an interview with HoopsHype’s Dionysis Aravantinos, Smith Jr. noted that having Harden on their club would mean tremendously, but he admitted that he won’t feel confident about their chances to ultimately land him this summer as they still look to develop as a young group.
“That’d be great,” Smith said. “The team would want a Hall of Famer. It’s promising, but we’re not just banking on that. We’re still focused on us and how we can improve as a team.”
Harden holds a $35.6 million player option with the Philadelphia 76ers for next season, but all signs and hints are indicating that he’ll opt out to secure a much bigger deal.
In terms of money, the Rockets have a massive cap space to allot for their beloved ex-cornerstone, but regaining him would mean that Houston will embrace a new era with him at the front once again while possibly transitioning away from their current rebuild program that features Smith Jr., Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Kevin Porter Jr.
Still, regardless of how the franchise would approach their direction, Smith Jr. aired his key pitch to Harden in order to consider a homecoming in Clutch City.
“Come back home,” he said about Harden. “He did so much for that city; there’s still so much love for him in Houston. It would definitely feel like home for him if he came back.”
